Related

When it comes to skiing and boarding, steep and deep is the Holy Grail. Challenging fall-line skiing on a precipitous slope in freshly fallen powder snow is something that even adventurous intermediate skiers might not find intimidating. However, once the new stuff is ground down to its crusty base, steep runs become almost hellish to ski or snowboard (especially snowboard) down. Moguls form, rocks and stumps might get exposed, and if the slope is exposed to a beating sun and cold, clear nights – the entire slope might become an unskiable mess of frozen crud.

For decades, there wasn’t much that ski resort operators could do. Snow cats – those slope grooming machines towing rollers to pack and till the base – could only work on beginner and intermediate slopes. In 1994, Pisten-Bully (translates into “Slope Bullly” from German) started manufacturing a motorized winch for its snow cats that allowed them to be pulled up a steep grade. The anchor was either a fixed object such as a tree, or, more commonly, another snow cat perched at the top of the run.

While winch cats can’t groom the steepest double black diamond terrain like, say, the Couloir Extreme or Cockalorum at Whistler Blackcomb, they have certainly made life easier for intermediates on runs like GS or even Davies Dervish, which has been steep enough to host World Cup mogul events. Silver Star Mountain Resort utilizes winch cats to groom numerous trails on its black diamond studded backside, including Bon Diablo and Holy Smokes. Sun Peaks Resort near Kamloops grooms its famous Headwall for the annual speed skiing competition each spring.

Like deep powder, it’s the early bird skier who gets to rip up the fresh corduroy; while the slope will not completely deteriorate over the course of a day, there’s more fun to be had if you rise early with a well-tuned set of skis that are ready to go fast. It is shocking how fast you can pick up speed on an immaculately groomed “corduroy” run, and yet feel in total control at the same time. The sensation is not unlike driving a well-mannered sports car.

Finally, there’s one piece of information you’ll want before you hit the slopes: a grooming map that highlights which runs have been packed and tilled overnight. Most ski areas will groom all of their novice and intermediate runs on a nightly basis. Advanced (black diamond) runs don’t always get maintained since it’s quite labour intensive, if not expensive. Many resorts have what’s called a ‘groomer’s choice’ which lists the best runs as selected by the slope grooming crew that has been working overnight.

Comments

We encourage all readers to share their views on our articles and blog posts. We are committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion, so we ask you to avoid personal attacks, and please keep your comments relevant and respectful. If you encounter a comment that is abusive, click the "X" in the upper right corner of the comment box to report spam or abuse. We are using Facebook commenting. Visit our FAQ page for more information.

Almost Done!

Postmedia wants to improve your reading experience as well as share the best deals and promotions from our advertisers with you. The information below will be used to optimize the content and make ads across the network more relevant to you. You can always change the information you share with us by editing your profile.

By clicking "Create Account", I hearby grant permission to Postmedia to use my account information to create my account.

I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.

Postmedia wants to improve your reading experience as well as share the best deals and promotions from our advertisers with you. The information below will be used to optimize the content and make ads across the network more relevant to you. You can always change the information you share with us by editing your profile.

By clicking "Create Account", I hearby grant permission to Postmedia to use my account information to create my account.

I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.